European capitals of innovation 2016-2019 : places that bring ideas to life.
Date: 2020-04-27
Institutions: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
Subjects: EU research policy, capital city, cultural prize, cultural promotion, innovation, municipality, town

 European Capitals  
of Innovation 

2016-2019

Places that bring 
ideas to life

#iCapitalAwards

Research and 
Innovation 

EUROPEAN CAPITALS OF INNOVATION – 2016-2019 – Places that bring ideas to life

European Commission
Directorate-General for Research and Innovation

Email: rtd-i-capital@ec.europa.eu

European Commission
B-1049 Brussels

Manuscript completed in February 2020.

This document has been prepared for the European Commission, however it reflects the views only of the authors, and the European 
Commission is not liable for any consequence stemming from the reuse of this publication.

More information on the European Union is available on the internet (http://europa.eu).

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2020

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PICTURES CREDITS:

Cover: © European Commission, DG Research and Innovation

Inside pages:

p. 9: © European Commission – p. 10: iStock/590269430 © benkrut – p. 11: © Régis Routier, Ville de Nantes –  
p. 11: © YHNOVA, Batiprint 3D – p. 12: © Stephan Menoret, Nantes Métropole – p. 12: © Patrick Garçon, Nantes 
Métropole – p. 13: © CartoQuartiers  – p. 14: iStock/486812737 © repistu – p. 15: iStock/697083606 © NXiao –  
p. 16: iStock/943830678 © Janus_Orlov – p. 17: iStock/477636345 © theasis – p. 18: iStock/5009488301  
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EUROPEAN COMMISSION

EUROPEAN CAPITALS 
OF INNOVATION

2016-2019

Places that bring ideas to life

2020

Directorate-General for Research and Innovation

FOREWORD ......................................................................................................................................5

ABOUT THE PRIZE ......................................................................................................................7

NANTES – TOGETHER ON THE INNOVATION JOURNEY .............................10
EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF INNOVATION 2019

⇢ The Great Debates .......................................................................................................................................... 11
⇢ Yhnova  ................................................................................................................................................................. 11
⇢ SmartCity demonstrator district ............................................................................................................. 12
⇢ CartoQuartiers ................................................................................................................................................... 13

ANTWERP .......................................................................................................................................14

⇢ Sponge 2020 and Wolvenberg  ............................................................................................................... 14
⇢ Curant  ................................................................................................................................................................... 14

BRISTOL ..........................................................................................................................................15

⇢ Children’s Charter and Equality Charter  ............................................................................................ 15
⇢ City Funds  ........................................................................................................................................................... 15

ESPOO ..............................................................................................................................................16

⇢ City as a Service  ............................................................................................................................................. 16
⇢ Hack with Espoo  ............................................................................................................................................. 16

GLASGOW ......................................................................................................................................17

⇢ Circular Glasgow  ............................................................................................................................................. 17
⇢ Centre for Civic Innovation ........................................................................................................................ 17

ROTTERDAM .................................................................................................................................18

⇢ PortXL ..................................................................................................................................................................... 18
⇢ Resilient Botu 2028  ...................................................................................................................................... 18

2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ATHENS – GRASS-ROOTS RENAISSANCE .............................................................20 
EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF INNOVATION 2018

⇢ Polis2 ....................................................................................................................................................................... 21
⇢ Curing the Limbo ............................................................................................................................................. 21
⇢ Kypseli Market ................................................................................................................................................... 22
⇢ Athens Digital Council  ................................................................................................................................. 22
⇢ SynAthina  ........................................................................................................................................................... 23

AARHUS ...........................................................................................................................................24

⇢ TAPAS ..................................................................................................................................................................... 24
⇢ IOT project on traffic and weather ......................................................................................................... 24

HAMBURG ......................................................................................................................................25

⇢ DIPAS ...................................................................................................................................................................... 25
⇢ DESY ....................................................................................................................................................................... 25

LEUVEN............................................................................................................................................26

⇢ Leuven MindGate ............................................................................................................................................. 26
⇢ Leuven 2030 ...................................................................................................................................................... 26

TOULOUSE .....................................................................................................................................27

⇢ Violette .................................................................................................................................................................. 27
⇢ Toulouse Aerospace Innovation Campus ............................................................................................ 27

UMEÅ .................................................................................................................................................28

⇢ Gendered landscape tour ............................................................................................................................ 28
⇢ Frizon ...................................................................................................................................................................... 28

3

PARIS – REINVENTING THE CITY .................................................................................30 
EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF INNOVATION 2017

⇢ Paris Code/Paris Fabrik ................................................................................................................................. 31
⇢ Arc de l’innovation .......................................................................................................................................... 31
⇢ Les Grands Voisins .......................................................................................................................................... 32
⇢ PLACE  .................................................................................................................................................................... 32
⇢ Reinventing Paris/Embellir Paris .............................................................................................................. 33

TALLINN ..........................................................................................................................................34

⇢ X-Road ................................................................................................................................................................... 34
⇢ Sustainable City Gardening Network  .................................................................................................. 34

TEL AVIV .........................................................................................................................................35

⇢ DigiTel Resident Card .................................................................................................................................... 35
⇢ CityZone ............................................................................................................................................................... 35

AMSTERDAM – COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT SHOWS THE WAY...................36 
EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF INNOVATION 2016

⇢ DECODE ................................................................................................................................................................. 37
⇢ Amsterdammers, Maak je Stad! .............................................................................................................. 37
⇢ Freezones ............................................................................................................................................................. 38
⇢ Startup in Residence ...................................................................................................................................... 38
⇢ Resilio  ................................................................................................................................................................... 39

TORINO ............................................................................................................................................40

⇢ Torino Social Impact ...................................................................................................................................... 40
⇢ Co-City ................................................................................................................................................................... 40

4

FOREWORD

Prizes recognise outstanding achievements and stimulate efforts 

in  pursuit  of  noble  goals.  They  are  a  very  effective  means 
of  addressing  challenges  by  bringing  people  together  and 
developing  creative  breakthrough  ideas.  The  European  Commission 
uses them to foster innovation and create role models to inspire others. 

The European Capital of Innovation Awards is a prize for European cities 
that have successfully harnessed innovation to improve the wellbeing of 
their citizens and overcome the societal challenges of the 21st century 
– such as inequality, climate change, urban mobility and planning, and 
digital  solutions,  to  list  just  a  few.  The  prize  champions  cities  as  key 
players  in  leading  a  local  change  towards  a  more  sustainable  society 
and keeping Europe a friendly place to live for the next generations.

The prize promotes Europe’s unique urban model, where cities have a strong focus on sustainability and nurture 
a culture of civic engagement and participation, while building thriving ecosystems. Public authorities work 
hand in hand with entrepreneurs, researchers and citizens to find the best urban solutions. Our winning cities 
demonstrate that there is no limit to innovation – innovation in Europe’s cities and towns occurs across all 
sectors and disciplines. I am extremely proud that innovation is gaining its place in areas such as education 
and culture, providing citizens with the necessary skills and mind-set to experiment and co-create our future.

This  booklet  brings  together  the  best  urban  innovation  practices  from  all  corners  of  Europe  and  beyond. 
The projects we have chosen here show just how important municipalities and other local actors can be in 
promoting innovation with and for people. Each year, the European Commission awards EUR 1.5 million to the 
most innovative cities to ensure these best practices are shared and replicated elsewhere. European Capitals of 
Innovation are “places that bring ideas to life” and help drive Europe forward. 

Considering the potential of the prize to have strong positive impact for Europeans, the Commission will continue 
to award it under the Innovation Ecosystems actions of Horizon Europe. So, innovative cities of Europe, prepare 
to become the next European Capital of Innovation!

Mariya Gabriel,
European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth

5

6

ABOUT THE PRIZE

Following a pilot edition in 2014 – which recognised 
the  city  of  Barcelona,  as  well  as  Groningen  and 
Grenoble  –  the  award  contest  has  been  held 
annually since 2016, with all evaluations conducted 
by a jury of high-level experts in the field of urban 
innovation working independently of the European 
Commission.

The  activities  described 
in  this  book  were 
suggested by the municipal innovation officers of 
the cities that have received awards since the full 
launch  of  the  prize.  They  are  some  of  the  best 
examples  of  the  work  done  by  municipalities  in 
the  field  of  urban  innovation,  and  illustrate  the 
vibrant  innovation  ecosystems  of  today’s  most 
innovative European cities.

T he European Capital of Innovation Awards is 

an annual prize that recognises the European 
cities  that  best  harness  the  results  of 
innovation to improve the lives of their inhabitants.

In particular, the prize gives exposure to cities that:

⇢  contribute  to  open  and  dynamic 

innovation 

ecosystems;

⇢  involve citizens in governance and decision-making;

⇢  use  innovation  to  improve  the  resilience  and 

sustainability of their cities.

Each year, the winning city is named ‘European Capital 
of  Innovation’  and  receives  EUR  1 000 000  to 
honour and raise its visibility as a role-model. 

The ‘runner-up’ title gives recognition to the next best-
performing cities. It comes with a EUR 100 000 prize 
to scale up existing innovation activities. 

Finalist cities, acknowledged for their efforts in pro-
moting innovation, are invited to join the European 
Capital of Innovation alumni network to share ideas, 
and exchange and replicate best practices. 

7

8

AarhusGlasgowBristolHamburgTorinoGrenobleParisNantesToulouseBarcelonaAthensTel AvivUmeåTallinnEspooLeuvenAntwerpAmsterdamRotterdamGroningenThe iCapital Network

        ⇠ EUROPEAN CAPITAL  
            OF INNOVATION 

RUNNER-UP ⇢  

9

AarhusGlasgowBristolHamburgTorinoGrenobleParisNantesToulouseBarcelonaAthensTel AvivUmeåTallinnEspooLeuvenAntwerpAmsterdamRotterdamGroningenNantes

iCapital 2019

Innovation by and for all

Together on  
the innovation  
journey

Over  10 000  people  move  to  the  Nantes 

metropolitan  region  each  year.  To  welcome 
them and improve local quality of life, Nantes 
is  building  a  city  based  on  citizen  participation  in 
policymaking  and  innovation.  It  aims  to  increase 
trust  in  democracy  and  add  to  ideas  from  its 
businesses, research organisations and civil society.

The  authority  has  developed  a  range  of  tools 
that  engage  people  in  the  city’s  evolution,  such 
as  the  “Great  Debates”  for  policy  design  or  a 
crowd-sourced map of services. To promote social 
and  business  innovation,  the  metropolis  has  also 
created  an  array  of  business  accelerators,  SME 
incubators and innovation events. 

In  particular,  the  city  supports  partnerships  that 
transform technical innovation into social innovation.

International partners generate further inspiration. 
Nantes is an active member of city networks such 
as  Eurocities  and  participates  in  cross-border 
innovation  programmes  like  the  mySMARTLife 
project to reduce its carbon emissions.

Although small compared to previous iCapitals, 
Nantes faces demographic, economic, digital, 
and technological challenges common to 
many larger cities across Europe. Partnerships 
with inhabitants, stakeholders and other 
municipalities are providing solutions.

Nantes  is  using  the  iCapital  prize  to  extend 
initiatives for citizen innovation to all parts of the 
metropolitan  area,  to  strengthen  the  Nantes  City 
Lab and to hold a major innovation event in October 
2020.  This  event  will  be  held  with  Eurocities, 
the  iKEN  iCapital  Alumni  Network  co-innovation 
platform and the La 27e Région public-policy lab.

“People are very proud to have the 
award. It gives incredible energy to every 
stakeholder.” 

Béatrice Merand, General-Director for Economic 
Development and International  
Attractiveness, Nantes

523 km2 – 639 000 inhabitants – https://metropole.nantes.fr

10

The Great Debates
The  Great  Debates  offer  citizens  the  opportunity 
to  provide  direct  input  into  strategic  policies. 
Online and face-to-face debate on a municipality- 
proposed  topic  is  followed  by  a  feasibility  study 
of suggestions, development of commitments and 
implementation.

The 2018 Great Debate examined how to achieve 
a transition to sustainable energy. Over 200 days, 
53 000 people contributed to a final roadmap of 
33 commitments. Targets include EUR 100 million 
of building renovations to reduce heat losses and 
energy poverty, reducing car use by 30 % by 2030 
and  an  “Office  of  the  Earth”  to  support  500  new 
projects by 2025. Five hundred citizens also par-
ticipated in sustainable-energy activities such as 
crowdfunding for a solar power plant.

An  independent  commission  of  30  citizens  and 
stakeholders  and  two  elected  officials  monitors 
progress towards the commitments.

The  Great  Debates  have  also  covered  the  aging 
population  and  the  sustainable  use  of  the  Loire 
River.  Setting  up  a  debate  costs  just  EUR  1  per 
inhabitant  in  this  inclusive  format  devised  by 
Nantes, which is ready to be used in other cities.
 ⇢ https://dialoguecitoyen.metropole.nantes.fr

FEATURED PROJECTS

Yhnova 
Social-housing building costs are increasing dramat-
ically in Nantes. The Yhnova project is investigating 
3D printing as a possible response. 

The  University  of  Nantes,  a  social-housing  owner, 
manufacturers,  local  construction  companies  and 
architects have developed a robot that can print a 
single-level home in 54 hours. Yhnova has built its 
first house – a 95 m2 five-room building – on a site 
provided by Nantes Métropole Habitat, a public body. 

The  robot  prints  out  the  walls,  including  spaces 
for  windows  and  doors,  in  plastic  insulation  foam, 
which  it  then  covers  with  concrete.  Construction 
costs 20 % less than conventional building methods 
thanks to the rapid production and cheap materials.

In March 2018, a family with four children moved 
into the home. The building was produced as part of 
the Nantes Métropole CityLab initiative – it is a liv-
ing example of the robot’s potential for affordable 
public housing that is also energy-efficient thanks 
to its on-site, fast construction and good insulation.
 ⇢ http://batiprint3d.fr/en/   

11

SmartCity demonstrator 
district 

The Loire’s Île de Nantes (Island of Nantes) in the 
heart  of  the  city  has  been  transformed  from  a 
former  shipping  hub  into  a  leafy  living  lab.  The 
SmartCity  demonstrator  district  offers  inhab-
itants  the  chance  to  try  out  digital  technologies 
that could improve public spaces and well-being. 
Citizens then deliver feedback on the innovations 
to the project managers who fine-tune services to 
public needs.

Experiments running in 2020 include street lighting 
that adapts its brightness to the level of pedestrian 
and  vehicle  traffic,  saving  energy  and  collecting 
road-use data for the city. Another trial has installed 
solar panels on a foot- and cycle path to produce 
electricity for services to be chosen by the public. A 
third is testing a solar-powered automatic bicycle-
tyre pump to promote healthy transport.

SmartCity is run by Samoa, the municipal company 
responsible  for  buildings,  transport  and  public 
spaces in the Île de Nantes.
 ⇢ https://www.iledenantes.com/s-informer/ 

NaonedIA 
The NanoedIA collective shares a common am-
bition  to  create  ethical,  sustainable  artificial 
intelligence (AI) for everyone. Launched in June 
2018,  the  group  aims  to  create  a  regional  AI 
culture  based  on  eight  principles:  transparen-
cy, traceability, high ethical standards, privacy 
by  design,  independent  governance,  breaking 
down  barriers  between  algorithms  and  data 
sets,  sharing  scientific  and  technical  culture, 
and human-machine cooperation.

The association is working on three services for 
local  stakeholders.  An  experimentation  section 
tests  new  public  and  private  services,  such  as 
for  affordable  housing,  private  debt  reduction 
and  eye  health.  A  studio  brings  together  local 
researchers, developers and analysts to support 
the development of AI projects. Finally, a training 
team raises awareness of AI and offers courses 
for developers and potential AI users.

In  just  18  months,  NanoedIA  grew  from  its  initial 
30 members to 80 participants, drawn from research 
organisations such as Nantes University, local SMEs, 
national and global companies, journalists and user 
groups, and legal and technical experts.
 ⇢ http://naonedia.fr/

12

CartoQuartiers 
Citizens and associations are generating this online 
map  of  thousands  of  sustainability,  cultural  and 
social services in the Nantes metropolitan area, with 
additional  data  from  the  Nantes  Métropole  open 
data  platform.  Inhabitants  and  visitors  can  search 
the map to discover resources such as self-service 
bike  rentals,  social  centres,  sustainable-energy 
demonstrators and shared gardens.

With partners such as Nantes Greeters, the local au-
thority  moderates  and  verifies  the  uploaded  photos, 
links  and  descriptions.  The  shareable  guide  relies  on 
ESRI mapping technology and an OpenStreetMap base. 

The  interactive  mapping  emerged  from  a  citizen 
workshop  organised  by  Nantes  Métropole.  By  the 
end of 2019, coverage had expanded from mapping 
across a few neighbourhoods to over 5 000 services 
across the whole region. 

CartoQuartiers is a local hit. It has been consulted 
over 80 000 times and has received a French Open 
Data Trophies Jury Prize.
 ⇢ https://www.cartoquartiers.fr/

13

ANTWERP

Runner-up 2019

The Big Link

A green ring for 
the diamond city
An example of the city’s innovative governance, 

this mobility initiative was broadened to an 
urban  development  project.  It  is  breathing 
new  life  into  the  local  economy  and  port,  making 
the  historic  city  of  diamonds  more  liveable  and 
resilient to climate change. The first phase, costing 
EUR  1.5  billion,  is  covering  sections  of  the  ring 
road  to  connect  some  city  districts,  reduce  traffic 
noise  and  pollution  and  create  new  green  areas. 
Continued  engagement  with  residents  will  ensure 
the project’s success.

Curant
Unaccompanied  migrants  aged  between  17  and 
22 received a helping hand, thanks to this recently 
ended project. It filled a gap in Belgium’s government 
support by caring for minors who reach legal adult-
hood.  Curant  provided  psychological  help,  training 
programmes  and  case  management  as  part  of  a 
holistic  approach.  Social  support  took  the  form  of 
matching  refugees  with  local  volunteer  ‘buddies’ 
and  having  them  become  flatmates,  to  help  them 
learn Dutch and integrate into Belgian society.
 ⇢  https://www.uia-initiative.eu/en/uia-cities/

antwerp

 ⇢  https://www.antwerpen.be/nl/overzicht/co-

housing-curant-1

Antwerp’s Big Link is covering up large parts 
of its ring road to connect the city and create 
new living spaces. 

“As a city we really benefited from the 
participation and input of citizens and 
citizen movements, inspiring and pushing 
us to be as ambitious as they were, 
making a giant leap for Antwerp in terms 
of mobility and liveability.”

Koen Kennis, Deputy Mayor, Antwerp

Sponge 2020 and 
Wolvenberg 
Both  projects  are  experimenting  with  how  to  make 
the city more climate-change resilient. Sponge 2020 
is turning the car park at the ‘Gedempte Zuiderdokken’ 
into  ‘Dok  Zuid’,  a  green  space  for  leisure/public  use 
and rainwater harvesting. Gutters of nearby houses 
feed into a 1 million litre tank, from where the water 
can be used to clean streets, water trees or be purified 
for drinking. Meanwhile, the Wolvenberg recreational 
nature  park  is  being  adapted  to  prevent  flooding.  It 
will feature two cup-shaped spaces and a wet zone/
play forest for absorbing up to 4 800 m³ of water.
 ⇢ https://www.interreg2seas.eu/nl/sponge-2020
 ⇢  https://www.agvespa.be/nieuws/defini-

tief-ontwerp-recreatief-natuurpark-wolven-
berg-en-entree-grotesteenweg

204 km2 – 525 000 inhabitants – https://www.antwerpen.be/nl/home

14

A fair, healthy and sustainable city

BRISTOL

Runner-up 2019

Working as One
The One City Approach responds to issues such 

as inequality and resource sustainability that 
cut across city departments and social groups. 
There are three elements – a One City Governance 
Model  based  on  a  city-as-a-system  view,  the  City 
Office  stakeholder  partnership  hub  and  the  co-
created  One  City  Plan  for  a  sustainable,  inclusive 
Bristol by 2050.

City Funds
Established  in  2019,  City  Funds  is  an  innovative 
way  to  finance  initiatives  to  reduce  poverty  and 
create a sustainable city. It combines local public 
and national funds with private sector donations 
collected by the initiative. 

Partnership drives Bristol’s reinvention of how 
to solve social and environmental challenges. 
In its ‘One City Approach’, institutions, 
businesses and communities co-create 
solutions for city-wide success.

“Bristol has created a whole-city approach 
that encourages shared responsibility 
for socio-economic and environmental 
outcomes.”

Andrea Dell, Head of City Office, Bristol

Children’s Charter and 
Equality Charter
Bristol’s  charters  engage  public,  private  and  civil 
society organisations in action for key city priorities. 
Over  100 organisations have signed the Children’s 
Charter  –  ten  pledges  that  prioritise  children’s 
welfare in policy decisions and are aligned with the 
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

A board of volunteers from commercial, civil society 
and  public  sector  organisations  oversees  activities, 
while grants target city priorities mapped against the 
One City Plan and the United Nations Sustainable 
Development Goals. 

Signatories  to  the  Equality  Charter  promise  to 
increase  equality,  diversity  and  inclusion  citywide. 
They receive an information and advice toolkit, along 
with peer support from the Bristol Equality Network, 
which also monitors their progress. 

The 2020 fund, worth EUR 11.9 million, has focused 
on  economic  inclusion,  community  initiatives,  child 
hunger and a carbon neutral, zero-waste Bristol.
 ⇢ http://www.bristolcityfunds.co.uk

Two other charters promote women in business and 
better ageing.
 ⇢  https://news.bristol.gov.uk/news/bristol-

launches-first-city-wide-pledge-to-children 
 ⇢  https://www.bristol.gov.uk/people-communi-

ties/bristol-equality-charter

110 km2 – 456 000 inhabitants – https://www.bristol.gov.uk

15

ESPOO

Runner-up 2019

A networked 
city at your 
service
Espoo  has  bounced  back  from  the  rapid 

decline in flagship employer Nokia from 2007 
to  become  a  decentralised,  smart  city  that 
nurtures  experimentation  and  collaboration  for 
zero-carbon growth – to become one of Finland’s 
leaders in innovation, sustainability and education.

Espoo’s City as a Service model promotes city-wide 
capabilities sharing, while the Iso Omena Service 
Centre  is  one  example  of  a  city  experiment  in 
community building and using artificial intelligence 
and robotics to help residents.

Hack with Espoo 
This  course  for  high-school  children  has  been 
organised twice, by the city and partner IT companies. 
Children hunt down bugs in city computer systems still 
under development and receive a stipend if they find 
a critical security weakness, with one stipend already 
awarded in 2019. Children learn about hacking tools, 
information  security  and  online  responsibility  and 
develop skills for possible jobs. The course has been 
picked up by other Finnish cities and Espoo is looking 
at how it can be scaled up in future.

 ⇢ http://bit.ly/HackwithEspoo

Espoo – City as a Service

The heartbeat of Finland’s second-largest 
metropolis is treating residents as customers 
and empowering them to co-create services 
and green growth that improve their lives.

“It’s in our DNA and culture to be innovative.”

Päivi Sutinen, Director for City as a Service 
Development, Mayor´s Office, Espoo

City as a Service
The  City  as  a  Service  model  promotes  urban 
innovative  procurement, 
development  through 
resource- and knowledge-sharing. One application, 
Spaces  as  a  Service,  is  a  new  way  to  administer 
use  of  public  and  private  spaces  to  cut  costs 
and  inefficiencies.  School  as  a  Service  is  another 
initiative.  Here,  in  one  case,  high  school  teaching 
was taken to Aalto University, to share under-used 
facilities  such  as  laboratories,  saving  the  school 
money and improving its education offering. In turn, 
schools  become  learning  centres  and  innovation 
platforms that companies, communities and NGOs 
can use to offer better services. 
 ⇢ https://www.slideshare.net/PiviSutinen/city-
as-a-service-caas-development

528 km2 – 290 000 inhabitants – https://www.espoo.fi/en-US

16

People make Glasgow innovate 

GLASGOW

Runner-up 2019

Data-driven  
development

With  its  three  universities  and  thriving  IT  and 
science  sectors,  the  city  is  resolving  social 
issues from a heavy-industry past and greening 
modern business. 

Stakeholders co-design solutions in a Centre for 
Civic Innovation. An innovation fund, IT test suite 
and  accelerator  programmes  add  to  Glasgow’s 
strategy  for  a  prosperous  economy  for  all,  and 
cooperation with other iCapital cities.

The home of the telephone, ultrasound and 
more, Glasgow excels in technological innovation. 
Now city leaders and citizens are exploiting 
information technology to reduce poverty, 
inequality and threats to the environment. 

“We use data to make better decisions 
and citizen-led design to frame problems 
and break them down into deliverables.”

Stephen McGowan, Creative Design Lead,  
Centre for Civic Innovation, Glasgow 

Circular Glasgow
Glasgow  aims  to  become  a  truly  circular  city, 
starting  with  business.  Support  for  SMEs  includes 
Circle  Assessments  that  identify  revenue  streams 
and savings from waste and Circle Workshops on 
how to become more sustainable. 

Centre for Civic Innovation
This  centre  uses  data  to  improve  public  services. 
Citizens identify problems and a team of designers, 
data  scientists,  analysts  and  technical  experts 
develop  IT  solutions  that  tap  into  Glasgow’s  vast 
reserve of data.

industries 

communication 

Circular  Glasgow  has  also  worked  with  design 
and 
to  promote 
circular  business  models.  More  generally,  it  has 
held  a  Circular  City  Challenge  that  reached  over 
600  000  people  worldwide.  The  challenge  led  to 
three  solutions  to  reduce  waste  from  events  and 
conferences, a major local industry.

 ⇢ https://circularglasgow.com 

Outcomes of this “Design with Data” approach include 
a  system  to  automate  allocation  of  school  clothing 
grants,  benefitting  5 000  additional  children,  and 
a model to identify unregistered landlords.

The centre has also created data dashboards to help 
local councillors make better decisions. The council 
is  improving  staff  data  skills  to  expand  its  use  of 
digital resources.
 ⇢ https://designfordata.org/

175 km2 – 626 000 inhabitants – www.glasgow.gov.uk

17

ROTTERDAM

Runner-up 2019

Team up, scale up, share and learn

Making it  
happen in  
Rotterdam

Rotterdam is a master of social and economic 
reinvention. A make-it happen mentality and 
the skills and ideas of its multicultural mix 
of citizens are key to success.

The bombing of World War II and the 1953 flood 
destroyed  much  of  the  city,  but  its  renaissance 
resulted in a resilient, modern port city. Rotterdam’s 
innovation policy is geared to modern challenges 
such  as  better  matching  education  to  industry 
needs and ensuring equal opportunities.

The  key  is  cooperation  –  helped  by  membership 
of city networks like 100 Resilient Cities and C40 
Cities Climate Leadership Group. 

“The make-it-happen mentality of the 
citizens of Rotterdam continues to 
be a magnificent source of ideas and 
inspiration for innovation.”

Murat Altunbas, Advisor EU-affairs, Rotterdam

PortXL 
in 
‘maritime  accelerator’  with  branches 
This 
Singapore  and  Antwerp  supports  start-ups  with 
fresh 
ideas,  new  technologies  and  business 
models.  PortXL  provides  mentoring,  funding,  and 
opportunities  for  port-related  tech  ideas  in  fields 
like  transport,  energy  and  chemicals.  It  is  helping 
to scale up over 80 pilot projects, such as: Waste 
Shark,  a  floating  device  that  gobbles  up  rubbish 
drifting  in  ports;  Whalewashing,  a  floating  robot 
that  cleans  and  inspects  ship  hulls;  and  Forward 
Water Technologies, which has an innovative, low-
cost method to purify wastewater. 
 ⇢  https://portxl.org/

Resilient Botu 2028
This  initiative  aims  to  uplift  the  Bospolder  and 
Tussendijken (BoTu) areas, whose 7 000 households 
are  among  the  poorest  in  the  Netherlands.  The 
municipality  asks  residents  what  they  need  to 
boost their resilience, reduce poverty and improve 
employment  and  education.  Cooperation  between 
residents,  the  municipality,  housing  department 
and  private  entities  aims  to  break  barriers  and 
increase trust. Paired with this, BoTu is striving to 
be one of the first climate-resilient neighbourhoods 
with a sustainable, zero-emission energy supply. 

 ⇢ https://www.gobotu.nl/?lang=en

319 km2 – 644 000 inhabitants – https://www.rotterdam.nl/

18

19

ATHENS

iCapital 2018

From doer to facilitator

Grass-roots  
renaissance

Athens was hit hard by the refugee and 
economic crises, leaving the city with severely 
reduced resources to meet immense social 
challenges. Grass-roots innovation has filled the 
gap, revitalising the city for the 21st century.

In  2010,  the  municipality  of  Athens  faced 

major  cuts  in  resources  and  greater  pres-
sure  on  public  services.  The  city  revamped 
its policymaking processes to innovate quickly 
so that, along with its citizens, it could revive 
the local economy, build up infrastructure and 
rebuild the residents’ confidence in their city.

Cooperation  with  citizens  and  civil  society 
was  essential.  The  city  made  the  most  of  its 
limited  resources  by  directing  training,  infra-
structure  and  funding  to  community,  business 
and  NGO-led  initiatives.  These  helped  to  re-
generate  neighbourhoods,  integrate  refugees, 
improve  education  and  digital  access.  The  city 
now has new businesses, a more attractive ur-
ban environment, a revived cultural scene and 
better services.

Inclusion  made  the  approach  work.  The  inno-
vation-support  processes  were  accountable 
and transparent, while citizens were consulted 
on decisions throughout. The whole city could 
test ideas for positive change.

The municipality now brings groups together to 
improve  the  city  rather  than  directing  change 
from the top. That proves that innovation allows 
cities to do more with less.

“The city has changed from being a doer to 
being a facilitator and enabler to deal with 
fragmentation and improve cooperation.” 

Elena Papalabrou, Special advisor in civil society 
and social innovation, Athens 

39 km2 – 664 000 inhabitants – www.cityofathens.gr

20

FEATURED PROJECTS

Polis2
Polis Squared invited citizens to co-create the city. 
There are two phases to the project. The first is a 
call for ideas from citizens, businesses and organ-
isations  to  improve  the  quality  of  life  and  coop-
eration in neighbourhoods, streets and buildings. 
Successful initiatives receive small grants, advice 
and training to run their projects.

The second part concerns reviving closed shops in 
the centre of Athens, where many businesses had 
been  abandoned  after  the  financial  crisis.  Here, 
artists,  creative  industries  and  small  enterprises 
have received free ground-floor space along three 
central  main  streets.  In  return,  they  hold  events 
and educational workshops for the general public.

The  project  is  empowering  residents  and  busi-
nesses  to  improve  the  city’s  urban  environment 
and sense of community. It is a win-win arrange-
ment  in  which  innovators  receive  support  to  try 
out  new  ideas,  and  in  return  they  make  the  city 
more sustainable.

 ⇢ www.polis2.thisisathens.org/en

Curing the Limbo
This  social  integration  programme  enables  refu-
gees  who  have  been  granted  asylum  to  interact 
with the citizens of Athens, learn about their neigh-
bourhoods,  cultivate  job  skills,  and  contribute  to 
city life, while creating their own identity.

21

Funded  by  the  EU  as  part  of  its  Urban  Innovative 
Actions initiative, the programme gives refugees the 
skills and social connections they need to leave the 
‘limbo’ of inactivity they experience before receiving 
the right to stay. 

Participants attend courses in Greek, English, cre-
ative  skills  such  as  media  and  photography,  and 
ICT. They also receive affordable housing and fol-
low  professional  job  counselling  tailored  to  their 
needs.  Furthermore,  refugees  are  integrated  in 
city life through public events organised by local 
citizen groups. Activities are based on the require-
ments of each neighbourhood, defined by the lo-
cal groups, and on the skills and needs of refugee 
participants. 

 ⇢ curingthelimbo.gr/en

cultural activities for local residents and visitors, 
supported by a viable business plan. 

The new use of the space was selected after consul-
tation with local residents and other stakeholders. 
Impact Hub Athens, a network of social entrepre-
neurs, manages the building, while the renovations 
have been financed from EU Cohesion Policy funds 
for Greece. In June 2018, the renovation took an-
other step forward when tenants were selected to 
take on the eight previously empty shops within the 
market  building,  which  now  provides  services  and 
products for the community.

 ⇢  athens.impacthub.net/en/kypseli-munici-

pal-market/

Kypseli Market
The  Kypseli  Municipal  Market  building  dates  back  to 
1935. Its impressive architecture is typical of Athenian 
modernism. Despite being threatened with redevelop-
ment over the years, support from leading citizens in 
its neighbourhood protected it. Today, the building has 
been transformed into a collective space for communi-
ty groups. Artists, social enterprises and citizen groups 
can use the building to set up innovative education and 

Athens Digital Council 
Leaders of the largest digital and telecommunications 
companies in Greece and senior professors at major 
Greek universities have come together to encourage 
technological  innovation  in  Athens  government  ser-
vices and boost digital skills throughout the city. The 
Digital  Council,  under  the  coordination  of  the  Chief 
Digital  Officer,  is  helping  the  municipality  to  reach 
more people, become more transparent, efficient and 
effective in delivering services, and improve residents’ 
chances of finding work.

22

Innovations from the Digital Council’s work with the 
municipality include pilot waste-management sys-
tems and smart lighting in the city centre, among 
others. Thousands of residents can also access dig-
ital skills training from Digital Council members in 
Athens Open Schools and Start Project. 

Athens  municipality  oversees  the  Council  while 
the Athens Partnership, an independent non-prof-
it organisation promoting high-level partnerships 
with the city, coordinates private-sector support. 
The collaboration aims to make Athens one of the 
world’s leading digital cities and improve life for 
all Athenians.

 ⇢ http://athenspartnership.org/digital-council

SynAthina 
SynAthina is a digital platform that brings together 
and supports citizen groups engaged in improving 
quality of life in the city. A City of Athens initiative, 
the platform was created in July 2013. By adding 
activities  to  it,  organisers  can  generate  publicity 
and connect with other groups, citizens and spon-
sors. A SynAthina kiosk in the city is also available 
for meetings, activities or information events, free 
of charge, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

This free-of-charge, open-access support for commu-
nity initiatives empowers social innovation in the city. 
Through SynAthina, people can also share ideas with 
the local authorities on how to improve regulations or 
simplify  government  procedures.  At  the  same  time, 
by  hosting  information  about  grass-roots  initiatives, 
the city has insights into residents’ priorities and can 
spot activities that local governments could copy to 
improve local services.

 ⇢ www.synathina.gr/en

23

AARHUS

Runner-up 2018

A city for everyone, a sustainable 
city on the move

Social coherence 
with innovation
Founded by the Vikings, this harbour city fos-

ters inclusion and cooperation along with care 
for  the  environment,  with  help  from  a  local 
volunteering culture. One municipality initiative is 
helping to integrate expats, international students 
and refugees. Other city actions have halved mu-
nicipality CO2 emissions over the last 10 years and 
promoted technology for greener mobility. Numer-
ous  ‘test  beds’  provide  spaces  to  research  and 
experiment with the latest smart city technology, 
maintaining the innovation momentum.  

TAPAS
The  Testbed  in  Aarhus  for  Precision  Positioning  and 
Autonomous Systems (TAPAS) is a free test platform 
for a GPS system being developed to provide accurate, 
fast,  real-time  positioning,  even  for  moving  objects. 
The  system  is  contributing  to  the  city’s  innovation 
goals  by  enabling  businesses,  research  institutions 
and public authorities to develop new areas of activity.

Its 1 cm2 resolution makes it perfect for self-driving 
cars, drones and other smart city solutions, as tech-
nologies like these will depend on centimetre-level 
positioning.

The platform is funded by the Danish Agency for Data 
Supply and Efficiency.
 ⇢ https://bit.ly/2GgKV9z

Aarhus is Denmark’s second-largest and 
fastest-growing city. The municipality wants 
to maintain the city’s social coherence while 
reducing its environmental footprint.  
Tech-savvy innovations are the solution.

“New, valuable innovation happens when 
different bodies and disciplines come 
together. There are great solutions for all 
types of projects.”

Sebastian Bønding Rasmussen,  
Smart City consultant, Aarhus 

IOT project on traffic 
and weather
A network of road sensors linked to GPS monitoring 
has  been  set  up  around  Aarhus  to  protect  drivers 
against  winter  weather  and  use  salt-gritting  re-
sources more efficiently.

Data  from  the  sensors  and  GPS  monitoring  is 
matched  with  official  weather  forecasts  to  pre-
dict which roads will be covered in snow and ice in 
the  coming  days.  The  municipality  then  limits  its 
salt-gritting operations to only those roads.

This smart road-protection planning is also good for 
the environment as less salt seeps into the soil and 
fewer gritting journeys are needed, thereby reducing 
maintenance-vehicle emissions.  
 ⇢ www.smartaarhus.eu 

469 km2 – 340 000 inhabitants – https://aarhus.dk/english/

24

Connect, collaborate and create

HAMBURG

Runner-up 2018

All on-board 
for the future
This 800-year-old seaport is steaming into the 

21st century and facing new societal problems 
with an openness to new ideas that has helped 
make  it  one  of  the  10  most  liveable  cities  in  the 
world. It is attracting the brightest and best minds in 
science, business and academia who are using data 
solutions and transparent public participation to 
find solutions for issues ranging from housing and 
urban mobility to accommodation for refugees.

Hamburg is giving its residents the tools 
to take responsibility for their city’s future 
with practical solutions such as digital 
participation systems and collaborative 
innovation parks.

“We seek to share our insights and 
contribute towards a healthy culture 
of innovation in Europe.”

Sascha Jacobi,  
Project Manager Innovation,  
Hamburg

DIPAS
The Digital Integrated Participation System is a dig-
ital platform for residents of Hamburg to informally 
participate in developing products and services. With 
DIPAS,  citizens,  public  and  private  institutions  can 
access  city  information  and  contribute  to  shaping 
urban living spaces. This reinforces the city’s status 
as a leader in  developing new  urban planning and 
construction processes.

The Ministry for Urban Development and Housing is 
cooperating with the HafenCity University and Agency 
for Geoinformatics and Survey to develop DIPAS.
 ⇢ www.hamburg.de/dipas/

DESY
The  Deutsches  Elektronen-Synchrotron  is  a  nation-
al  research  centre  and  one  of  the  world’s  leading 
particle accelerator centres. It builds research tools 
for scientists to use for applications ranging from 
exploring  elementary  particles  to  studying  new 
nanomaterials.  It  is  contributing  to  innovation  by 
conducting basic research, which is the foundation 
for new knowledge and ideas. DESY allows firms to 
carry  out  product  development  and  testing,  while 
the  spin-offs  from  its  research  contribute  to  im-
proving  medical  technology,  to  better  diagnose  or 
treat diseases.
 ⇢ www.desy.de/

775 km2 – 1 860 000 inhabitants – www.future.hamburg

25

LEUVEN

Runner-up 2018

Collaboration at all city levels

Strength in small-
city networks

Although small, Leuven hosts a diverse 
research population from one of Europe’s 
most innovative universities, KU Leuven. 
Add in close engagement with residents and 
businesses, and the result is a highly creative, 
entrepreneurial and citizen-driven city. 

Making  the  most  of  its  unique  demographic, 
Leuven  tackles  challenges  through  horizontal 
networks  of  public  and  private  organisations 
that  work  together  and  pool  resources.  A  key 
partner is the university, a major force behind 
efforts  to  make  the  city  carbon-neutral.  Now 
Leuven’s  network  has  expanded  to  include 
other iCapital finalists and winners.

“Putting together different people and 
perspectives to work on a shared issue 
stimulates new ways of thinking and 
leads to innovative and creative solutions 
to complex challenges.”

Katrien Rycken, Coordinator Leuven 2030, Leuven

Leuven MindGate
A network of local government, companies and re-
searchers,  Leuven  MindGate  promotes  innovation 
in health, high-tech and creativity for economic de-
velopment and prosperity in the region.

As  well  as  promoting  company  creation,  training 
and  a  hospitable  environment  for  innovation,  the 
network  takes  part  in  national  and  international 
projects,  trade  fairs  and  missions  to  promote  its 
members and the city.

Notable  MindGate  projects  include  a  one-stop 
shop  for  welcoming  foreign  specialist  workers 
and  the  transformation  of  a  run-down  industrial 
neighbourhood into a flourishing art district.

 ⇢ www.leuvenmindgate.be

Leuven 2030
In  this  network,  local  government,  researchers, 
businesses and citizens aim to dramatically reduce 
greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate the tran-
sition  to  a  carbon-neutral  Leuven.  Alongside  key 
stakeholders, it has produced a comprehensive and 
ambitious roadmap for the city, covering everything 
from sustainable mobility and building renovation 
to renewable energy and sustainable consumption.

Leuven 2030 also takes direct action by developing 
projects such as L.E.U.V.E.N. which is a partner ship 
between more than 20 building managers to sub-
stantially increase the energy efficiency of their 
buildings.
 ⇢ www.leuven2030.be

57 km2 – 100 000 inhabitants – https://www.leuven.be/

26

TOULOUSE

Toulouse, the open metropolis

Runner-up 2018

Reach for the 
stars to grow
Innovations in public facilities and mobility, such 

as an urban cable car, enable Toulouse to enjoy 
an economy that attracts new inhabitants while 

protecting local quality of life. 

To maintain its high-tech advantage, Toulouse is 
investing  in  digital  skills,  in  particular  in  intelli-
gent transport. Social cohesion and public-private 
projects  are  important,  too,  fostered  through 
innovative communication with inhabitants.

Violette
People  living  in  or  visiting  Toulouse  can  address 
questions to Violette, a virtual assistant available 
24/7. Via an easy-to-use online messaging service 
on  the  city’s  website,  Violette  guides  people  to 
a wide range of practical information – on admin-
istrative  services,  transport,  weather,  air  quality, 
leisure and cultural activities.

Violette  is  named  after  the  violet,  the  flower  of 
Toulouse. Following the chatbot’s success, the city 
is increasing the range of services she can advise 
on, funded by the iCapital Award.
 ⇢ www.toulouse.fr 

As the leading metropolitan area in 
France for start-ups, fuelled by a strong 
aerospace industry, Toulouse is experiencing 
a population boom. It is using social and 
technological innovation to develop in 
a sustainable way. 

“The award has created international 
recognition that adds value to our work 
and a rich, beneficial network with 
European partners.”

Bertrand Serp, Vice-president in charge of Digital 
Economy and Robotics, Toulouse Métropole

Toulouse Aerospace 
Innovation Campus
An attractive new quarter is being developed in the 
south of Toulouse. It provides a home for start-ups, 
research  and  other  organisations  focusing  on  the 
aeronautics,  space  industries  and  artificial  intelli-
gence. The campus will enable Toulouse to build on 
its strengths as a European leader in these sectors.

It also hosts ‘La Machine’, a street theatre compa-
ny based around performance machines, promoting 
creativity and community spirit within the quarter’s 
‘technology’  theme.  In  2018,  the  company’s  giant 
machines mobilised 900 000 people to take to the 
streets of Toulouse to enjoy a four-day festival.  
 ⇢ http://toulouseaerospace.com 

460 km2 – 756 000 inhabitants – www.toulouse-metropole.fr 

27

UMEÅ

Runner-up 2018

Trust in people leads to trust in new ideas

Innovation through 
trust and knowledge

Located at the icy crossroads between north and 

south  Sweden,  regular  contact  with  outsiders 
has taught Umeå to be open to strangers. This 
has  created  a  culture  of  curiosity  and  trust.  High 
education levels and strong public institutions, with 
a  significant  emphasis  on  cooperation  with  NGOs 
and including everyone in decision-making, ensures 
that  people  work  together  to  maintain  the  city’s 
good quality of life.

Umeå’s residents value progress and gender 
equality, resulting in a growing city that is 
attractive to women, men and children alike 
and prides itself on achieving innovation 
through diversity.  

“The trust is inclusive. It extends to people 
outside the group. If you add knowledge, 
it fosters an innovative ability.”

Anna Olofsson, Head of City Marketing, Umeå

Gendered landscape tour
Umeå’s  striving  for  gender  equality  has  shaped 
the  city  and  represents  the  work  of  the  muni- 
cipality,  organisations  and  individuals.  A  guided 
bus  tour  includes  landmarks,  buildings  and  art-
works, such as the neon sign ‘nobody puts baby 
in  a  corner’  on  the  façade  of  a  local  hotel,  and 
the  station  tunnel.  The  tunnel  was  designed  to 
be  well-lit  and  broad  to  take  into  consideration 
women’s safety concerns in public spaces.
 ⇢ https://genderedlandscape.umea.se/in-english/

Frizon
Frizon,  or  Freezone,  is  a  meeting  place  for  girls 
and  young  women  in  a  park  in  central  Umeå. 
Teenage  girls  were  asked  to  help  the  architects 
design it when it emerged that this demographic 
did not participate in public consultation on plan-
ning  the  park.  The  result  is  a  covered  area  with 
circular  swings  designed  for  Swedish  women  of 
average height, 1.64 m.  There are Bluetooth-en-
abled speakers and free WiFi access. The Swedish 
National Board of Housing, Building and Planning 
supported the initiative.
 ⇢ https://bit.ly/2WWiB1U

2 317 km 2 – 125 000 inhabitants – www.umea.se

28

29

PARIS

iCapital 2017

Build up, meet up, scale up

Reinventing  
the city

Paris has fostered centuries of scientific, philo- 

sophical  and  artistic  innovation,  from  Eu-
rope’s  18th  century  Enlightenment  to  the 
Eiffel  Tower.  In  recent  years,  boosted  by  a  large 
concentration of students and higher educational 
institutions, this culture has created strong start-
up and local activist communities. 

To  push  this  energy  towards  challenges  such  as 
climate change, land scarcity, migrant integration, 
transport and sustainable growth, the municipality 
and inhabitants are co-creating solutions. 

Paris  is  releasing  unused  municipal  spaces  to 
innovators,  building  over  100 000  square  me-
tres of start-up incubators and financing citizen 
initiatives. Cooperation extends to involving in-
habitants more in city management, for exam-
ple in redesigning roads to increase pedestrian 
space. In addition, partnerships with other local 
governments and private companies are reviv-
ing neighbourhoods and developing 21st century 
work skills. 

By freeing up spaces for new uses and 
thinking beyond traditional ways of living, 
working and doing business, Paris is building 
a more inclusive, sustainable city ready 
to meet modern challenges.

This  ‘Reinvent  Paris’  approach  made  the  city 
both a runner-up in the 2016 iCapital Awards 
and a 2017 winner. The prize money has fund-
ed more innovation work, the 2018 conference 
for the FabCity network, and the TUMO school 
for free digital and creativity skills training for 
12-18-year-olds. The municipality’s success is 
inspiring a ‘Reinventing Cities’ initiative by the 
European Commission.

“If there is a new idea for a service, 
involve people to innovate fast and 
to make it work.” 

Carine Saloff-Coste, Director of Economic 
Development and Employment, City Hall, Paris

105 km2 – 2 141 000 inhabitants – https://www.paris.fr/

30

FEATURED PROJECTS

in IT. Students can choose from various methods 
–  MOOCs,  classical  learning  and  more  hands-on 
approaches – to find the course best adapted to 
their situation.
 ⇢  https://bit.ly/2T991qX

Arc de l’innovation
The  Eastern  part  of  Paris  is  getting  support  for 
local  innovation  to  promote  and  develop  the 
area. The Paris municipality, other local govern-
ments  in  the  region  and  private  companies  are 
behind this initiative.

A large area is covered – over 160 square kilometres, 
with 2.7 million inhabitants. This area is a hotbed of 
creative, digital and social enterprise. It houses most 
of  Paris’  incubators,  co-working  spaces  and  urban 
fab labs, along with numerous experiments such as 
micro farms or recycling initiatives. 

Paris Code/Paris Fabrik
These two initiatives by the Paris municipality are 
helping city residents to develop skills for growing 
industries. 

Each  year,  Paris  Code  provides  free  training  and 
a job guarantee for 1 300 people in response to a 
shortfall in IT professions. Training is provided by pri-
vate  suppliers,  while  IT  businesses  finance  student 
training and support.

ParisFabrik focuses on training for the circular econ-
omy.  Sectors  include  manufacturing,  sustainable 
mobility, waste treatment, reduction in food waste, 
urban agriculture and sustainable buildings. Training 
providers,  businesses  and  non-profit  organisations 
propose courses which the city finances to develop 
skills for emerging industries.

Both programmes are aimed at first-time job-seek-
ers  and  people  looking  for  a  career  change,  includ-
ing  those  without  professional  qualifications.  Paris 
Code also targets women, who are underrepresented 

31

Arc  de  l’Innovation  is  taking  this  enterprise  up 
a  notch.  It  promotes  existing  initiatives,  organises 
networking  meetings,  provides  online  information 
about  resources  and  finances  projects  with  a  local 
impact. Hundreds of initiatives are already on-board 
and feature on an online map. 

Long-term, the project aims to attract new shops 
and  services  to  the  area,  create  jobs,  make  the 
area  more  attractive,  and  foster  cooperation 
among the various local governments. 
 ⇢ https://arcinnovation.fr/

Other  parts  of  the  site  provide  a  well-being  centre, 
cultural  events  and  a  social-enterprise  restaurant, 
among other services.

Activities create opportunities for residents, business 
and the wider public to meet and promote social in-
clusion. The project, which originally ran from 2015 
to  2017,  has  now  been  extended  to  2020,  before 
the site is developed for housing and local services.
 ⇢  https://lesgrandsvoisins.org/ 

Les Grands Voisins
When the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul hospital closed in 
2012, it left 10 000 m² of buildings and an outdoor 
area of 3 500 m² empty in the centre of Paris. The 
building’s owner, the municipality of Paris, allowed 
three  non-profit  organisations  –  Aurore,  Plateau 
Urbain  and  Yes  We  Camp  –  to  take  temporary 
occupation of the site for social innovation. 

The  organisations  have  created  temporary  homes 
for vulnerable people such as ex-rough sleepers and 
foreign job-seekers, and an asylum-seekers’ day cen-
tre. It is also a meeting place for the local people and 
work space for around a hundred small businesses, 
associations, craftspeople, artists and urban farmers. 

PLACE 
A collective of European educational, business and 
government  organisations,  PLACE  helps  refugees 
and  migrants  to  become  a  source  of  innovation 
and economic growth. It hosts two-day workshops 
for migrants to develop products and services for 
problems that they face, matches innovators with 
networks  and  resources,  fosters  leadership  skills 
and promotes collaboration across cultures. 

The  resulting  projects  are  diverse,  covering  tech-
nology,  health,  integration,  the  environment,  food 
and  arts,  and  more.  For  example,  one  project  is 
looking at interactive methods to teach children to 
be more eco-conscious; another is developing ways 
to share memories with distant relatives. 

32

Men and women take part in similar numbers. Partici-
pants, who are typically aged from 21 to 55 and from 
a  mixture  of  professional  and  skilled  backgrounds, 
join activities as both innovators and trainers. Local 
civil society workers are also welcome.

PLACE  is  changing  perceptions  of  migrants  while 
generating value for the local society. The collective 
is  currently  being  extended  to  other  cities  across 
Europe.
 ⇢ https://place.network/

Reinventing Paris/ 
Embellir Paris
These  initiatives  by  the  municipality  of  Paris  are 
relaxing  planning  procedures  to  allow  unused  or 
unattractive  municipal  sites  to  be  repurposed,  in 
cooperation with innovators and future users. 

Reinventing  Paris,  launched  in  2014,  released 
23 sites for redevelopment, including a bus depot, 
an old swimming baths, an electricity substation, 
and empty plots. Following a call that attracted 
372 proposals, sites are being transformed into 
housing,  commercial  and  work  spaces,  with  an 
accent  on  greening  the  cityscape.  A second  call 
has since been launched, this time to redevelop 
unused underground spaces.

Embellir  Paris  follows  the  same  lines  but  on 
a  smaller  scale.  Artists,  collectives  and  associa-
tions have been invited to propose art projects for 
20 of the city’s more jaded streetscapes, with a city 
contribution of EUR 50 000 per site. The artworks 
will be installed by the end of summer 2019, when 
city residents can rediscover and enjoy previously 
neglected spaces.
 ⇢ http://www.reinventer.paris/en/sites/
 ⇢ http://www.embellir.paris/fr/reglement/

33

TALLINN

Runner-up 2017

The city where the future is now 

Dreaming big 
in green tech
Most  services  in  Tallinn  are  paper  free, 

thanks  to  municipal  innovation,  while 
tech start-ups are supported by incuba-

tors and investors from home and abroad.

Innovations for citizen well-being, low-carbon trans-
port  and  the  environment  also  create  a  healthy, 
happy  society  that  nurtures  ideas.  The  iCapital 
prize  money  supports  some  of  these  projects,  as 
well as a Tallinn Technical University professorship 
to improve decisions on smart city topics.

X-Road
Built upon the existing e-Estonia system which pro-
vides e-services for the general public, X-Road is in-
ter alia a cross-border network between Estonia and 
Finland that provides secure document information 
exchange. 

The network was established early in 2018. It al-
lows  Estonia  and  Finland  to  connect  their  federal 
public  and  private  information  systems  in  a  fed-
erated system of some 50 000 organisations, pro-
moting  cooperation  and  communication  between 
the two countries. The network is now implemented 
in eight more countries, including Azerbaijan, Iceland 
and the Faroe Islands.

 ⇢  https://bit.ly/2CE7Ma4

Tallinn is a true e-society, from robot parcel 
deliveries to worldwide digital connections. 
But it is also a green city, where cooperation 
unites communities.

“Tallinn dreams big and delivers. We use 
technology to solve problems wisely and 
share solutions with the international 
community.”

Kristel Kibus, Leading Specialist, Tallinn 

Sustainable City 
Gardening Network 
In a fast-growing city, the Sustainable City Garden-
ing Network helps citizens to protect green spaces 
for food production and community use, and is of 
particular value for the young, elderly and disabled.

City-mapping  software  helps  residents  to  identify 
green spaces, such as around an old church. A pub-
lic  consultation  in  early  2017  between  residents 
and  the  Tallinn  Environmental  Board  resulted  in 
271 suggestions for 102 different existing and po-
tential city gardens. Eight community gardens have 
since been built and the project has been expanded 
across the city. 

 ⇢ http://gis.tallinn.ee/linnaaed/
 ⇢  https://bit.ly/2G8Dmk2

159 km2 – 441 000 inhabitants – https://tallinn.ee/eng 

34

Innovation and entrepreneurship  
in a start-up city

TEL AVIV

Runner-up 2017

Tap into tech 
awareness
The  municipality  taps  into  these  strengths. 

Open  information-sharing  and  collaboration 
between the municipality, residents and other 
stakeholders  maintain  the  city’s  environment  and 
high quality of life, while over 80 accelerators and 
four  incubators  foster  further  hi-tech  innovation 
and entrepreneurship.

As a young city with limited natural 
resources, Tel Aviv built its economy through 
technological innovation and a willingness 
to take risks. Today, the city’s residents are 
heavy tech adopters and have one of the 
highest rates of start-ups in the world. 

“Tel Aviv has a unique relationship between 
the municipality and residents. We encour-
age innovation to fix problems, expand 
services and collaborate with entrepreneurs.”

Liora Shechter, CIO, Tel Aviv

DigiTel Resident Card
This  digital  tool  searches  up  to  500  city  services 
and  cultural  events  a  week  to  inform  residents 
about  activities  that  correspond  to  their  possible 
needs.  For  example,  young  parents  might  receive 
notification  of  a  local  storytelling  or  a  link  to  the 
opening of kindergarten registrations. 

Registration for the card gives access to targeted 
notifications  along  with  discounts  for  leisure  fa-
cilities.  Around  210 000  people  have  registered  – 
about half the city population – and the numbers 
are growing.
 ⇢ www.tel-aviv.gov.il/en/Live/ResidentsCard

CityZone 
A collaboration between Tel Aviv university and the 
municipality,  CityZone  is  an  innovation  park  that 
hosts  start-ups,  multinationals,  and  policymakers 
and provides smart tech and mentorship to address 
city challenges. 

Adjacent to a residential neighbourhood, the park is 
a living lab in which to develop, test and demonstrate 
new technologies for mobility, security, governance, 
the environment, education and communities before 
implementation throughout the city. It is also home 
to Tel Aviv’s incubators and accelerators.
 ⇢ www.city-zone.co 

52 km2 – 438 000 inhabitants – www.tel-aviv.gov.il

35

AMSTERDAM

iCapital 2016

Act small, fail fast, learn  
quickly and upskill 

Collaborative  
spirit shows  
the way

Bottom-up  creativity  and  inclusion  still  in-

fluence the city today, fuelled by free ac-
cess to data and space to test ideas. This is 
helping the city to face pressures from tourism, 
migration and changing job markets as well as 
more traditional challenges such as maintaining 
the environment, moving around a crowded city 
and addressing social inequalities.  

Modern  collaboration  on  solutions  takes  many 
forms. iCapital prize money has also been used to 
finance a call for local innovation, resulting into 
37 projects. And despite Amsterdam’s small size, 
it  houses  several  partnerships  and  urban  plat-
forms where businesses, researchers and citizens 
can co-develop ideas and learn new skills.

A  global  presence  adds  to  the  mix.  AMS-IX  – 
Europe’s largest internet exchange point – and 
Schiphol  Airport  connect  innovators  to  people 
around the world.

Over the centuries, Amsterdam residents 
have learned to cooperate against the threat 
of floods in their coastal city. They have 
created a society that relies on creativity and 
collaboration, based on openness, innovation 
and pragmatism.

Meanwhile,  at  the  heart  of  Amsterdam  inno-
vation  is  an  open,  innovation-friendly  spirit.  If 
municipality staff or city inhabitants see some-
thing that needs fixing, they are challenged to 
develop  their  own  solution  directly,  and  either 
try again or collaborate with others to build on 
their success.

“The award had a strong impact on 
the city. It has put innovation on the 
political agenda.”

Gerard den Boer, Manager (EU)  
Grants and Incentives, Amsterdam

219 km2 – 854 000 inhabitants – https://www.amsterdam.nl/en

36

FEATURED PROJECTS

DECODE
In a world with an increasingly centralised inter-
net,  the  DECODE  project  provides  IT  tools  that 
enable users to decide whether to keep their per-
sonal information private or share it for the public 
good. The aim is to address concerns about loss 
of  control  over  personal  information  and  its  use 
by internet companies for profit.

DECODE brings together researchers from 14 re-
search  and  government  organisations  in  Europe, 
including  Amsterdam  and  Barcelona  municipali-
ties. It is funded by the EU under its Horizon 2020 
research programme. 

The project team is creating, testing and demonstrat-
ing a distributed open architecture for managing per-
sonal and other data online, where users can choose 
who can access their information. 

Four  European  pilot  studies  –  one  in  Amsterdam 
– will investigate the societal value of giving indi-
viduals the power to take control of their personal 
data  while  allowing  innovators  to  build  apps  and 
services that respond to individual needs and those 
of the wider community.
 ⇢ https://decodeproject.eu/

Amsterdammers,  
Maak je Stad!
EUR  600 000  of  Amsterdam’s  iCapital  Award  was 
used to fund local, bottom-up innovations in Amster-
dammers, Maak je Stad! This accelerator programme 
helps  citizens  and  social  entrepreneurs  to  improve 
the city’s liveability. Of the 475 projects applying for 
funds,  37  were  winners,  chosen  for  their  inclusivity 
and innovativeness by leading Amsterdam citizens. 

37

Although  initiatives  covered  many  areas,  the  ac-
celerator focused on projects for health and skills. 
For example, Smart Bricks has created a techno- 
logy  people  can  use  to  measure  environmental 
issues such as air quality, while MON€Y SCHOOL 
teaches children how to manage money.

As  well  as  finance,  project  leaders  are  offered 
workshops  and  training  over  six  months  and  ac-
cess  to  a  network  of  experts  from  the  City  of 
Amsterdam, the Amsterdam Economic Board and 
Amsterdam Smart City, which support the project 
along with Kennisland, Pakhuis de Zwijger, Waag 
Society and the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced 
Metropolitan Solutions.
 ⇢ https://maakjestad.amsterdam/

This limited reduction in regulatory obstacles encour-
ages  social  and  business  innovation,  especially  by 
small organisations. In addition, events are allowed 
without permits but within a few rules to avoid nui-
sance  to  local  residents.  The  main  rules  are  that 
there can be a maximum of eight food trucks, stalls 
or other mobile outlets in the area which must be in 
addition to the business’ existing offer.

The first two freezones were in Jan Evertsenstraat 
and Rijnstraat, residential and business areas to the 
south of the historic city centre. A third has been es-
tablished at Osdorpplein towards the western edge 
of Amsterdam.
 ⇢  https://www.amsterdam.nl/ondernemen/

freezone/

Freezones
In these areas, people can use public space with-
out licences or permission to make stagnant areas 
more  attractive  and  livelier.  For  example,  a  shop 
can place a planter outside, hand out products to 
the public or advertise outside its building without 
having to ask the municipality first. 

Startup in Residence
Founded  in  2015,  the  Startup  in  Residence  pro-
gramme  connects  start-ups  and  scale-ups  with 
key social challenges in Amsterdam. Both Dutch 
and  international  entrepreneurs  are  invited  to 
find solutions in collaboration with the local gov-
ernment, benefiting the city as well as its citizens. 

38

Among Startup alumni are the Great Bubble Bar-
rier, which keeps plastic in Amsterdam canals out 
of the sea, and Koppl, an online platform enabling 
people to request local help in times of need.  

Start-ups accepted into the programme follow a six-
month course on business, legal and financial topics. 
In  addition,  there  is  a  series  of  workshops  on  how 
the City of Amsterdam works, for example when it 
makes  decisions  and  procures  services,  along  with 
the  support  of  professional  coaches  or  mentors. 
Working  space  and  access  to  the  municipality’s 
network is also provided.

Once ready, a start-up can launch a solution inde-
pendently or ask the City of Amsterdam to become 
an investor or launching customer.
 ⇢ https://startupinresidence.com

Resilio 
Smart green roofs with enhanced water retention 
will  be  installed  on  10 000  m2  of  social  housing 
complexes in Amsterdam in the Resilio project. The 
innovative structures reduce impacts from climate 
change on residents and neighbourhoods, including 
flooding from higher rainfall, higher temperatures 
and more droughts. 

The roofs store excess water under a green plant lay-
er to reduce chances of damage to houses and their 
surroundings. In hot weather, this water layer enhanc-
es the green layer’s cooling effect. A smart control in 
each roof anticipates heavy rain or drought, releasing 
or retaining water accordingly, while a network ena-
bles remote water regulation. Resilio is developing an 
innovative smart grid that will manage water levels 
dynamically, to increase the system’s efficiency.

Resilio, funded by a grant from the EU’s Urban In-
novative  Actions  initiative,  shows  how  innovation 
can go hand in hand with social and environmental 
justice.
 ⇢  https://www.uia-initiative.eu/en/uia-cities/

amsterdam 

39

TORINO

Runner-up 2016

City lab for change

Opening up a 
smarter society
Public  and  private 

innovation-led  orga-
nisations are flocking to Turin, drawn by its 
flourishing  ecosystem  as  well  as  city  test 
lab facilities – Torino City Lab – upgraded using 
the iCapital prize money.

For wider innovation across society, the munici-
pality is adding in affordable open labs, funding, 
public-private  partnership,  and  advice  to  foster 
start-ups,  while  empowering  citizens  to  make 
their city an attractive and inspiring place to live.

Turin prides itself on its openness, with 
a young population eager to test ideas. 
The municipality combines technical and social 
innovation to create opportunities for all.

“We have to be attractive to potential 
innovation. This creates jobs, new 
technology, new business and new social 
services.”

Gianfranco Presutti, Director of Innovation  
and EU Funds Department, Torino

Torino Social Impact
Social entrepreneurship is flourishing in Turin, thanks 
to an innovation strategy that includes Torino Social 
Impact online platform. This open ecosystem brings 
together over 50 companies, non-profits, and public 
and private institutions active in developing high-tech 
solutions for social needs.

Hundreds  of  citizens  use  the  platform  to  find  project 
partners, combining services such as technical expertise, 
impact investment, office space and coaching.

By providing this hub to help people make connections 
and access resources, the city is raising its profile as an 
attractive place for talent and investments.
 ⇢ www.torinosocialimpact.it

Co-City
The  Co-City  project  is  reducing  social  exclusion  in 
Turin  by  empowering  people  to  transform  their 
neighbourhoods and fostering innovation in some of 
the city’s poorest areas. 

Residents  agree  ‘collaboration  pacts’  with  local 
authorities that set out how abandoned buildings 
and  spaces  can  be  regenerated  for  public  use. 
New social enterprises are being created, provid-
ing  job  opportunities  in  areas  of  relatively  high 
unemployment. 

Co-City is an Urban Innovative Action funded by the 
European Regional Development Fund. 
 ⇢ www.uia-initiative.eu/en/uia-cities/turin 

130 km2 – 878 000 inhabitants – www.comune.torino.it

40

Getting in touch with the EU

IN PERSON
All over the European Union there are hundreds of Europe Direct information centres.  
You can find the address of the centre nearest you at:  
https://europa.eu/european-union/contact_en

ON THE PHONE OR BY EMAIL
Europe Direct is a service that answers your questions about the European Union.  
You can contact this service: 

– by freephone: 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (certain operators may charge for these calls), 
– at the following standard number: +32 22999696 or 
– by email via: https://europa.eu/european-union/contact_en

Finding information about the EU

ONLINE
Information about the European Union in all the official languages of the EU is available on 
the Europa website at: https://europa.eu/european-union/index_en

EU PUBLICATIONS
You can download or order free and priced EU publications at:  
https://publications.europa.eu/en/publications. Multiple copies of free publications may be 
obtained by contacting Europe Direct or your local information centre  
(see https://europa.eu/european-union/contact_en)

EU LAW AND RELATED DOCUMENTS
For access to legal information from the EU, including all EU law since 1952 in all the official 
language versions, go to EUR-Lex at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu

OPEN DATA FROM THE EU
The EU Open Data Portal (http://data.europa.eu/euodp/en) provides access to  
datasets from the EU. Data can be downloaded and reused for free, for both commercial and  
non-commercial purposes.

The annual European Capital of Innovation Awards recognise  

European cities that have best harnessed innovation to improve 

life for their inhabitants.

Funded under Horizon 2020, the EU’s research and innovation  

programme, and chosen by an independent expert jury, the Awards  

reward inspiring innovation approaches that address every aspect  

of city life – from technology, business and mobility through to  

social cohesion, the environment and sustainability. 

This booklet provides an overview of some of the unique solutions 

from 2016-2019 Award winners and runners-up. It also shows how 

some have used their prize money to take innovation to new levels, 

as part of a Europe-wide network of iCapital cities. 

All cities can learn from these finalists, and be inspired to take their 

own innovation to new heights as a potential #iCapitalAwards city. 

Research and Innovation policy